Vets tally 'alarming' numbers

Deaths of troops on VA care tops active-duty rate

11:47 PM,
Jan. 10, 2014

Written by

Gregg Zoroya
| USA Today

Young veterans just out of the service and receiving health care from the government committed suicide at nearly three times the rate of active-duty troops in recent years, according to data released by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

VA officials say the data show severe personal issues driving self-destructive tendencies for those in uniform follow them when they leave the military. The figures were released through a USA Today public records request.

"The rates ... are honestly alarming. This group of young veterans appears to be in some trouble," says Janet Kemp, head of the ...